Running out of memory quickly, help!

[uhhehhahh]

Is my computer too slow?

i use Pro Tools LE, 3 tracks

1.A drum track, (Superior drummer), no other plugins

2. a Guitar track, 2 mono plugins (dist + comp)

3. a Guitar track, 2 mono plugins (dist + comp)


I have Mac pro 2 x 2,66 Ghz Dual core intel Xeon, and 2 G RAM.

The program runs out of memory all the time, do i really have that little power, or am i doing something wrong?

 

[kev]

Run your superior samples in 16 bit mode.

 

[TheDriller]

upgrade to 4gb of RAM asap.

 

[kev]

Purchase a 6 core gulf town

 

[updog]

Does PT allow freezing tracks?


If not (in case of epic failure) Superior Drummer has a feature that allows you to bounce your drumtrack temporarily within the plugin. I haven't tried this, but it should basically be just running your track through once with the bounce option enabled.

 

[uhhehhahh]

Run your superior samples in 16 bit mode.

Ok, i guess i will have to do it, will try it when i get back to the pro tools computer, hope not the quality reduction it will be too audible.

 

[uhhehhahh]

upgrade to 4gb of RAM asap.

I am aware that my RAM memory is a little too small, but does it really have an effect on this particular problem? The dialogue box that pops up, says it is the CPU memory that is full, not the RAM.

 

[uhhehhahh]

Does PT allow freezing tracks?


If not (in case of epic failure) Superior Drummer has a feature that allows you to bounce your drumtrack temporarily within the plugin. I haven't tried this, but it should basically be just running your track through once with the bounce option enabled.

Not sure what that means, does it mean, i can still hear the drum track while it is temporarily bounced?

 

[elyptic]

2GB is enough for this, unless your Superior 2.0 kit is too large to fit into memory. To keep it as small as possible:

1) Click the "Cached" button on
2) Click the "Clear" button
3) Play your track through once from start to finish.

This will clear out all the samples for your kit from RAM, and then load only the ones used in your track. You'll be surprised how little memory your kit takes up after doing this (unless you've got some crazy Portnoy stuff with every drum, cymbal, and dynamic).

 

[Dalinkwent48@aim.com]

Also if your running at 256 try bumping that up and see if you still get the errors

 

[updog]

Not sure what that means, does it mean, i can still hear the drum track while it is temporarily bounced?

Yes, but it shouldn't consume memory.

Also, freeze function means that it temporarily bounces the track and you can hear it, but not make any plugin strip changes to it. If you want to make changes you simply turn freeze off.

 

[nwright]

I am aware that my RAM memory is a little too small, but does it really have an effect on this particular problem? The dialogue box that pops up, says it is the CPU memory that is full, not the RAM.

Whenever I've added RAM to any of my recording computers, my CPU usage goes down. Adding a 1GB stick to my laptop (2GB to 3GB) lowered it by about 15%, moving from 3GB to 4GB lowered it another 10-15%.

I'd also try to increase your buffer size.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

Ok, i guess i will have to do it, will try it when i get back to the pro tools computer, hope not the quality reduction it will be too audible.

in the end you will bounce t6 16-bit to print to CD, bit rate is only a dynamic range (relative to noise), the difference even on reference monitors between 16 and 24 bit is way too small to notice when the drums are solo'd. it is virtually impossible for the human ear to pick up that difference when the drums are in a full mix.

What I am trying to say is that 24 bit won't compensate for a lackluster mix, if it sounds like shit as a 16 bit file it will sound like shit (and possible even worse) as a 24 bit file. lower bit rates won't be a reasonable excuse for a mix sounding like shit.

I am aware that my RAM memory is a little too small, but does it really have an effect on this particular problem? The dialogue box that pops up, says it is the CPU memory that is full, not the RAM.

*facepalm*

CPU Memory = RAM

Even 4GB is pushing it with SD2.0, use 16-bit mode and cached mode, you won't hear a damn difference and it will save your life tons. Still get more memory, as a full kit 16-bit cached can still take close to a gig, which only gives you 1 gig left for your OS, background programs and your DAW (including other plugins)

 

[uhhehhahh]

Yes, but it shouldn't consume memory.

Also, freeze function means that it temporarily bounces the track and you can hear it, but not make any plugin strip changes to it. If you want to make changes you simply turn freeze off.

Ok great, will check out if Pro Tools has the option to freeze a track, so far it seems like it is not yet confirmed though.

 

[uhhehhahh]

Whenever I've added RAM to any of my recording computers, my CPU usage goes down. Adding a 1GB stick to my laptop (2GB to 3GB) lowered it by about 15%, moving from 3GB to 4GB lowered it another 10-15%.

I'd also try to increase your buffer size.

Ok, yeah, i actually just reduced the buffer size down to 128, just in order to be able to hear the guitar with minimal latency while playing along the drumtrack, but i guess i might have to increase it again.

 

[uhhehhahh]

in the end you will bounce t6 16-bit to print to CD, bit rate is only a dynamic range (relative to noise), the difference even on reference monitors between 16 and 24 bit is way too small to notice when the drums are solo'd. it is virtually impossible for the human ear to pick up that difference when the drums are in a full mix.

What I am trying to say is that 24 bit won't compensate for a lackluster mix, if it sounds like shit as a 16 bit file it will sound like shit (and possible even worse) as a 24 bit file. lower bit rates won't be a reasonable excuse for a mix sounding like shit.

Ok great, that is what i wanted to know, it is no big difference, so then i will of course go with 16 bit! Thnx!

*facepalm*

CPU Memory = RAM

Even 4GB is pushing it with SD2.0, use 16-bit mode and cached mode, you won't hear a damn difference and it will save your life tons. Still get more memory, as a full kit 16-bit cached can still take close to a gig, which only gives you 1 gig left for your OS, background programs and your DAW (including other plugins)

I hear you man, and the other people in this thread, thanx for the good advices.

I understand getting another 2 Gigs is a must, plus begin to use 16 bit mode instead of 24, cause it will not be that big of a difference anyway.

 

[uhhehhahh]

Also if your running at 256 try bumping that up and see if you still get the errors

I get less errors, but there is a latency problem, having a buffer of that size will make it hard to play along the drum track in real time and make it tight.

Plus i am still a little curious, it seems to me like, even though i obviously need to upgrade the RAM, it seems like just 2 mono tracks and a stereo track would be able to run pretty smoothly on my computer, but, apparently not.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

I get less errors, but there is a latency problem, having a buffer of that size will make it hard to play along the drum track in real time and make it tight.

Plus i am still a little curious, it seems to me like, even though i obviously need to upgrade the RAM, it seems like just 2 mono tracks and a stereo track would be able to run pretty smoothly on my computer, but, apparently not.

if it sill concerns you to have 24-bit audio, there is a bounce function in superior that renders that output files to 24-bit, so even though your DAW settings were set up for 16 bit the rendered .wav files will be 24-bit.

You may have crap ASIO drivers (if you even have ASIO drivers), that is why you are getting crap performance. Another thing though your CPU can be a factor, what model is it?.

The goal is to get the lowest buffer size possible without errors, but when I record I usually have it cranked up to the max, my DAW has a delay compensation (most do) where if you play in time with the tracks it will actually shift your tracks back by the amount of latency that was there during the recording process.

 

[uhhehhahh]

if it sill concerns you to have 24-bit audio, there is a bounce function in superior that renders that output files to 24-bit, so even though your DAW settings were set up for 16 bit the rendered .wav files will be 24-bit.

Nope, it is no concern, if the sound will be pretty much the same i will gladly use 16 instead of 24, but it´s good to know that there are some other options also with S Drummer.

You may have crap ASIO drivers (if you even have ASIO drivers), that is why you are getting crap performance.

Have no clue what that is, so it is possible that i do not have them, what is ASIO?

Another thing though your CPU can be a factor, what model is it?.

Its a 2 x 2,66 Gig dual core intel xeon CPU

The goal is to get the lowest buffer size possible without errors, but when I record I usually have it cranked up to the max, my DAW has a delay compensation (most do) where if you play in time with the tracks it will actually shift your tracks back by the amount of latency that was there during the recording process.

Ah interesting, but still, don´t you find it difficult to play in time, when you have a huge real time latency (despite the fact that it compensate automatically later)?

 

[JayB]

You need more RAM. I got those errors before I beefed up my computer , now I have a quad core with 6 gigs of RAM , no more errors !